LEICESTER TIGERS 2018/19 SQUAD/TRANSFERS/CONTRACT THREAD PART 4

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RagingBull
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Re: LEICESTER TIGERS 2018/19 SQUAD/TRANSFERS/CONTRACT THREAD PART 4

Post by RagingBull »

trendylfj wrote: Fri Dec 28, 2018 12:24 pm I read a lot on here about various forwards leaving and just wondered if it is just speculation/hoping? More urgent for me is another quality centre who can be a decent backup FH. It will be even more important if Manu leaves and still think we need one even if he stays

I think we will lose only a few of our forwards either to the 6N or world cup but will lose most of our backs - Forwards for the 6N would probably be Denton, Genge and maybe Coles only but I grant you that the world cup will take many more but the backs for the 6N will be many more - May, Youngs, Ford, Tuilagi and possibly Holmes. WC is almost impossible to cover with real quality but would not want to tie us into long term contracts with run of the mill players when we have reasonably good players already - Williams, Kitchener, Fitzgerald, O'Connor, Thomson and Wells, none of whom are likely to feature in either competition. If some of them are leaving, and we will soon know, then of course, they will need to be replaced but our marque money should be a centre/FH from the SH and be available during the 6N for the next couple of years. Harumichi Tatekawa or Elton Jantjies would fit the bill nicely for me but think they may prove to be pie in the sky
It's about balance.
Williams, Kitchener, Fitzgerald, O'Connor, Thompson and Wells are reasonably good but will having 6 reasonably good forwards improve the pack?
A marquee fly half seems a waste with Ford here, Need to try and either look for a older player (Like a Steenson or a younger player like a Searle).
Tatekawa is a Japanese 10 who barely speaks english really doubt he would be a good fit for a English 10 spot, Jantjies isn't really a cover for anything other than 10.
I agree a 10/12 is important but wouldn't use a marquee spot on it unless it's for someone like Barrett.

We need more quality in the forwards.
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Re: LEICESTER TIGERS 2018/19 SQUAD/TRANSFERS/CONTRACT THREAD PART 4

Post by sam16111986 »

RagingBull wrote: Fri Dec 28, 2018 1:41 pm
trendylfj wrote: Fri Dec 28, 2018 12:24 pm I read a lot on here about various forwards leaving and just wondered if it is just speculation/hoping? More urgent for me is another quality centre who can be a decent backup FH. It will be even more important if Manu leaves and still think we need one even if he stays

I think we will lose only a few of our forwards either to the 6N or world cup but will lose most of our backs - Forwards for the 6N would probably be Denton, Genge and maybe Coles only but I grant you that the world cup will take many more but the backs for the 6N will be many more - May, Youngs, Ford, Tuilagi and possibly Holmes. WC is almost impossible to cover with real quality but would not want to tie us into long term contracts with run of the mill players when we have reasonably good players already - Williams, Kitchener, Fitzgerald, O'Connor, Thomson and Wells, none of whom are likely to feature in either competition. If some of them are leaving, and we will soon know, then of course, they will need to be replaced but our marque money should be a centre/FH from the SH and be available during the 6N for the next couple of years. Harumichi Tatekawa or Elton Jantjies would fit the bill nicely for me but think they may prove to be pie in the sky
It's about balance.
Williams, Kitchener, Fitzgerald, O'Connor, Thompson and Wells are reasonably good but will having 6 reasonably good forwards improve the pack?
A marquee fly half seems a waste with Ford here, Need to try and either look for a older player (Like a Steenson or a younger player like a Searle).
Tatekawa is a Japanese 10 who barely speaks english really doubt he would be a good fit for a English 10 spot, Jantjies isn't really a cover for anything other than 10.
I agree a 10/12 is important but wouldn't use a marquee spot on it unless it's for someone like Barrett.

We need more quality in the forwards.
I suspect it will depend on whether we are retaining Hardwick and whether we rate him and the academy lads Glynn and Costelow. If we rate them all highly I imagine we'll go cheap and look for the young lads to develop with game time. If not then we'll probably need a like for like replacement for Toomua.

If we can get a cheap upgrade on Joe Ford and a good 12/13 in I'd be happy with that and then looking to spend the bulk of our cash up front. Currently we are neither mobile nor physical enough. Got to give the backs a platform to play from.
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Re: LEICESTER TIGERS 2018/19 SQUAD/TRANSFERS/CONTRACT THREAD PART 4

Post by RagingBull »

so Varndell, Sarto, Blake and a couple of others to be announced next week?
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Re: LEICESTER TIGERS 2018/19 SQUAD/TRANSFERS/CONTRACT THREAD PART 4

Post by Scott1 »

Varndell?? Why??
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Re: LEICESTER TIGERS 2018/19 SQUAD/TRANSFERS/CONTRACT THREAD PART 4

Post by kpj tiger »

Scott1 wrote: Sat Dec 29, 2018 11:05 am Varndell?? Why??
Sarto cover for Veainu and Varndell cover for Thompstone ?
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Re: LEICESTER TIGERS 2018/19 SQUAD/TRANSFERS/CONTRACT THREAD PART 4

Post by ellis9 »

kpj tiger wrote: Sat Dec 29, 2018 11:10 am
Scott1 wrote: Sat Dec 29, 2018 11:05 am Varndell?? Why??
Sarto cover for Veainu and Varndell cover for Thompstone ?
I think the question was more about why are we getting (apparently) Varndell as injury cover. I tend to agree. Why don't we use Aspland-Robinson as cover?
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Re: LEICESTER TIGERS 2018/19 SQUAD/TRANSFERS/CONTRACT THREAD PART 4

Post by sam16111986 »

ellis9 wrote: Sat Dec 29, 2018 11:20 am
kpj tiger wrote: Sat Dec 29, 2018 11:10 am
Scott1 wrote: Sat Dec 29, 2018 11:05 am Varndell?? Why??
Sarto cover for Veainu and Varndell cover for Thompstone ?
I think the question was more about why are we getting (apparently) Varndell as injury cover. I tend to agree. Why don't we use Aspland-Robinson as cover?
Because he's been injured most of the season and has only just returned. We've also got the 6N on the horizon and will potentially lose both May and Holmes. If Thompstone and TV haven't recovered in time that leaves us with a very youthful back three of Owolofela, Aspland-Robinson and Worth (add Sarto if he's officially confirmed). Smith and Tait being out long term only complicates matters further.

Varndell or Walker would be an experienced AP winger to help bolster the squad.
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Re: LEICESTER TIGERS 2018/19 SQUAD/TRANSFERS/CONTRACT THREAD PART 4

Post by ellis9 »

sam16111986 wrote: Sat Dec 29, 2018 11:27 am
ellis9 wrote: Sat Dec 29, 2018 11:20 am
kpj tiger wrote: Sat Dec 29, 2018 11:10 am

Sarto cover for Veainu and Varndell cover for Thompstone ?
I think the question was more about why are we getting (apparently) Varndell as injury cover. I tend to agree. Why don't we use Aspland-Robinson as cover?
Because he's been injured most of the season and has only just returned. We've also got the 6N on the horizon and will potentially lose both May and Holmes. If Thompstone and TV haven't recovered in time that leaves us with a very youthful back three of Owolofela, Aspland-Robinson and Worth (add Sarto if he's officially confirmed). Smith and Tait being out long term only complicates matters further.

Varndell or Walker would be an experienced AP winger to help bolster the squad.
There we go. Question answered. Fair enough.
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Re: LEICESTER TIGERS 2018/19 SQUAD/TRANSFERS/CONTRACT THREAD PART 4

Post by Scott1 »

Varndell has walked out of his French club for family reasons!
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Re: LEICESTER TIGERS 2018/19 SQUAD/TRANSFERS/CONTRACT THREAD PART 4

Post by RagingBull »

Scott1 wrote: Sat Dec 29, 2018 11:58 am Varndell has walked out of his French club for family reasons!
Varndell pretty much confirmed on his Twitter he is coming.
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Re: LEICESTER TIGERS 2018/19 SQUAD/TRANSFERS/CONTRACT THREAD PART 4

Post by Robespierre »

Scott1 wrote: Sat Dec 29, 2018 11:58 am Varndell has walked out of his French club for family reasons!
Ah! Didn’t know that. I had thought that being released from his contract by a mid table ProD2 side, questions would be asked why. He hadn’t appeared regularly on Soyaux Angoulême’s team sheet. Loss of form or injury? Now we know, although surely Aspland Robinson would be ahead of Varndell in the pecking order?
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Re: LEICESTER TIGERS 2018/19 SQUAD/TRANSFERS/CONTRACT THREAD PART 4

Post by sam16111986 »

ellis9 wrote: Sat Dec 29, 2018 11:29 am
sam16111986 wrote: Sat Dec 29, 2018 11:27 am
ellis9 wrote: Sat Dec 29, 2018 11:20 am

I think the question was more about why are we getting (apparently) Varndell as injury cover. I tend to agree. Why don't we use Aspland-Robinson as cover?
Because he's been injured most of the season and has only just returned. We've also got the 6N on the horizon and will potentially lose both May and Holmes. If Thompstone and TV haven't recovered in time that leaves us with a very youthful back three of Owolofela, Aspland-Robinson and Worth (add Sarto if he's officially confirmed). Smith and Tait being out long term only complicates matters further.

Varndell or Walker would be an experienced AP winger to help bolster the squad.
There we go. Question answered. Fair enough.
No prob.

Be interesting to see if Varndell has any of his searing pace left.
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Re: LEICESTER TIGERS 2018/19 SQUAD/TRANSFERS/CONTRACT THREAD PART 4

Post by trendylfj »

Hehehehehehehehe
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Re: LEICESTER TIGERS 2018/19 SQUAD/TRANSFERS/CONTRACT THREAD PART 4

Post by biffer »

Sarto is an excellent pickup if he can stay fit. Was very good for Glasgow when he played, but picked up a number of injuries. Big, aggressive winger who will rapidly become a favourite if he's playing regularly. Also, of course, if he's in good form he'll end up with the Italian squad as well, but I doubt he will be in contention at the start of the 6Ns given he's been out of action for a while. Won't have cost a lot of money either.
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Re: LEICESTER TIGERS 2018/19 SQUAD/TRANSFERS/CONTRACT THREAD PART 4

Post by FrontRowUnionMember »

RagingBull wrote: Sat Dec 29, 2018 10:54 am so Varndell, Sarto, Blake and a couple of others to be announced next week?
Nobody else picked up on the “couple of others” bit? Wonder where else in the squad we are adding?
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